Balsamic Vinegar is a known comestible product with a unique flavor whose origins are reported to date back to the eleventh century. Traditional balsamic vinegar is produced from Trebbiano grapes in the Modena region of Italy, although balsamic vinegars are also produced outside of the Modena region of Italy. The basic process for producing traditional balsamic vinegar today has not changed significantly over the centuries. Basically, ripe grapes are harvested in what is called a vintage. The vintage is crushed and the resulting juice or must is left to sit on the skins for a period of time sufficient for pigments in the skins to impart color to the must. The must is then concentrated and subsequently cooked at temperatures in excess of 100.degree. C., normally by slow heating to further concentrate the must, and to impart more color. After concentrating and cooking, the resulting red must is seasoned, blended with a red wine vinegar and then aged in a variety of casks made of different woods. Although balsamic vinegars are normally produced by essentially the same basic process, different producers may vary in their particular seasoning, method of aging, size of barrels and types of wood.
The "Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena," a characterization regulated under Italian law, is considered the champagne of vinegars and is relatively expensive. Commercial balsamic vinegar, known as "Balsamic Vinegar of Modena" is regarded by the Italian government as a national product, but it is not necessarily produced in the Modena region. All known balsamic vinegars exhibit a characteristic deep red color and are referred to herein as "conventional balsamic vinegar."
Conventional balsamic vinegar is used widely for salad dressings, sauces for red meats, marinades, and garnishes on certain fruits and vegetables. However, conventional balsamic vinegar suffers from the disadvantage that it imparts unsightly discoloration or stains to food such as poultry, fish, veal and other light colored food, thereby rendering them unappealing the eye. Thus, conventional balsamic vinegar with its traditional red color is not normally used for poultry, fish, veal and other light colored meats and food.
The terms "red" and "white" are used throughout the disclosure and claims when characterizing vinegar and must as they would by one having ordinary skill in the art of producing vinegar and/or processing grapes. They are not used in such characterizations in a strict colormetric sense, but in a manner similar to characterizing "red" vis- a-vis "white" wines and wine vinegars. Thus, the characterization "white" encompasses a range from almost colorless to light amber.